#Recycling / Circular Economy

2019-11-28

Waste, plants, CO2 – the resources of the future

How to get to a Circular Economy was the subject at Raw Materials Summit 2019 in Berlin with representatives from business, politics, media and science. From left: Dr. Frank-Andreas Hatzack, Copenhague Institute for Futures Studies; Philipp Engelkamp, Managing Director Ineratec GmbH; Dr. Adriana Neligan, Senior Economist, German Economic Institute; Professor Kurt Wagemann, Managing Director Dechema; Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter, State Secretary at the German Federal Ministry for the Environment; Dr. Jürgen Stebani, CEO Polymaterials AG; Judith Skudelny, National parliamentary group FDP; Dr. Klaus Schäfer, Member of the Board of Management Covestro AG; Professor Christian Thomsen, President Technical University of Berlin (c) 2019 Covestro

With sustainable raw materials from waste, plants and CO2, the chemical industry can support the transition to a circular economy. At the Raw Materials Summit 2019, which took place on Monday at the Technical University of Berlin, Germany representatives from business, politics and science called for the increased use of such sources instead of crude oil. Accordingly, non-fossil resources help to close the carbon loop and can contribute to climate protection. At the summit the “Resource Innovator” start-up prize was awarded to the young company Ineratec from Southern Germany.

Raw Materials Summit 2019 points way out of the throwaway society
Start-up company wins “Resource Innovator” prize

“The chemical industry is actively pushing ahead with the transformation to a circular economy,” said Dr. Klaus Schäfer, Member of the Board of Management for Production and Technology at Covestro. The materials manufacturer organized the summit again joinly with the Technical University of Berlin and the Dechema Society for Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology.

Waste as a valuable resource

According to Schäfer, it is particularly important to see plastic waste as a resource: “After their use, products must no longer end up uncontrolled in the environment, but must be recycled in an ecologically efficient manner, for example through chemical recycling”, stated Schäfer with a view to politics.

The German government was represented by Rita Schwarzelühr-Sutter, State Secretary at the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), who delivered the opening speach. The BMU as well as the Federal Ministry of Education and Research acted as patrons of the event.

Professor Christian Thomsen, President of the Technical University of Berlin, stressed that the academic sector could provide important impetus for research and development into new recycling processes and alternative raw materials. Thomsen: “The interaction of application-oriented basic research and science-based industry is the key to success”.

Promoting a start-up culture

Professor Kurt Wagemann, Managing Director of Dechema, emphasized the importance of a vibrant start-up scene for the realization of new ideas for sustainable production processes and products: “The start-up culture in Germany needs to be more pronounced so that Germany can keep up with international competition”.

Wagemann also selected the “Resource Innovator 2919”. This year's prize at the Raw Materials Summit went to Karlsruhe-based Ineratec GmbH, which was founded in 2016. The company has succeeded in downsizing large chemical plants to miniature size. With these decentralized reactors, high-quality raw materials for the chemical industry can be produced from exhaust gases such as CO2.

Covestro, FILK Freiberg, and OUT e.V. develop flexible, conductive polymer smart textile system

As the smart textiles market continues to grow across healthcare, personal protection, sportswear, and automotive applications, developers are seeking new ways to integrate electronic functionality directly into textiles, without the rigidity and complexity of conventional wiring. To address this challenge, FILK Freiberg Institute, an independent research institution with expertise in polymer coatings for textile applications, collaborated with Optotransmitter-Umweltschutz-Technologie (OUT) e.V. The joint project, funded under the German Industrielle Gemeinschaftsforschung (IGF) program of the Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft und Energie (BMWE), focused on developing flexible, conductive polymer surfaces for next-generation smart textiles.

Covestro to exhibit solutions for a more sustainable and productive textile industry at Techtextil 2026

Covestro will present a broad portfolio of material innovations for textile coatings, adhesive films and thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs) at Techtextil 2026 (Hall 11.0, Booth C79). The exhibits will demonstrate how advanced solutions can enhance durability, recyclability and manufacturing efficiency across applications such as automotive, infrastructure, protective apparel and sportswear. A particular focus will be on more sustainable coating technologies, including antimicrobial systems based on INSQIN® in combination with AGXX from Heraeus Precious Metals, as well as the integration of Pontacol® thermoplastic adhesive films into Covestro’s offering.

Covestro showcases monomaterial concept in autonomous SUE People Mover

UE | STUDIOS has unveiled the fully autonomous electric minibus “Self-driving Urban E-Shuttle” (SUE), placing strong emphasis on sustainable material design. Developed within a project funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWE) and the European Union, the vehicle will begin public road testing this year. At the core of the concept is the consistent use of recyclable monomaterials to improve circularity at end of life.

Covestro and Heraeus Precious Metals collaborate to enable safer, more sustainable antimicrobial textile coatings

Laboratory tests reveal that AGXX antimicrobial surface technology from Heraeus Precious Metals is fully compatible with Impranil® PU dispersions which are part of the waterborne INSQIN® textile coating technology from Covestro, paving the way for more sustainable antimicrobial textile coatings. This discovery comes at a key moment for the textile coatings industry. As the sharing economy continues to grow, more people are coming into regular contact with high-use surfaces, creating ideal conditions for bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms to thrive.

Industrial scale meets verified governance: RE&UP is now B Corp™ certified

RE&UP, the circular-tech transforming global textile waste into high-volume Next-Gen materials, has officially become a Certified B Corporation™. The milestone establishes the industrial recycler among a select group of manufacturing infrastructure providers verified as meeting B Lab Standards for social and environmental performance, transparency, and accountability.

Recover™ and Ünteks Group partner to scale recycled cotton in knitwear

Recover(TM), a global producer of low‐impact, high‐quality recycled cotton fiber, announces a new partnership with Ünteks Group, a vertically integrated textile manufacturer based in Turkey. The collaboration focuses on the development of circular knit fabrics and garments, combining Recover’s recycled cotton fiber with Ünteks Group’s integrated capabilities across knitting, dyeing, printing, and garment production.

ALADIN paves the way for circular and demand-driven textile production in Europe

Textile production can be organized sustainably by utilizing short supply chains and preventing overproduction. This can already be achieved today by intelligently connecting and efficiently utilizing existing infrastructure. At the same time, production becomes circular when innovative technologies and materials are used that enable high-quality recycling. The ALADIN research project, launched in May 2026 and co-funded with five million euros under the EU Horizon Europe program, is creating the conditions for this.

Ence and ShareTex begin initial testing of the ATENEA innovation project to promote textile recycling in Spain

Ence and ShareTex are making progress on the Atenea R&D project, which aims to develop a complete value chain for textile recycling in Spain. Specifically, the goal of the ATENEA project—which is funded by the Center for Technological Development and Innovation (CDTI)—is to connect all the necessary stages for the recovery of textile waste, from collection and management, through recycling and transformation into new raw materials, to their incorporation into new textile products.

Rieter sees Barmag integration on track as orders and sales rise

The first half of 2026 was shaped by the successful completion of the largest acquisition in Rieter’s history. The Man-Made Fiber Division enables entry into the growth segment of man-made fibers and sustainably strengthens Rieter’s market position in the Asia region. The expanded Group is now the world’s leading system supplier for the processing of natural and man-made fibers. In the first half of the year, initial cost savings in material costs and operating expenses have already been realized. The targeted synergies are expected to amount to at least CHF 20 million by the end of the 2028 financial year. Due to the completion of the acquisition on February 2, 2026, the first half of the year for the Man-Made Fiber Division only amounts to five months.